During menopause, women experience various symptoms ranging from hair loss, and brain fog to joint pain. But did you know that collagen and gelatin supplements could be the solution?
Collagen is known to be the building block for healthy skin, hair and teeth, so it's not surprising that supplements have been linked to improved skin hydration, reduced wrinkles, and stronger nails, amongst others. Gelatin, essentially, is heated up collagen but with a kick, thanks to its unique protein amino acid make-up.
Both offer a number of health benefits and we’ve rounded up the top five for women who are nearing or experiencing menopause:
- Reduces hair loss
Studies have found that over 50% of women will have noticeable hair loss due to menopause. This is because hair grows more slowly and becomes much thinner when the levels of oestrogen and progesterone drop.
Collagen helps to strengthen your hair because it makes up 70% of your dermis, which is the middle layer of skin that contains the root of each individual hair. Gelatin can also improve hair thickness and growth.
- Strengthens bones
As menopause is accompanied by a drop in collagen levels, it can reduce bone density and lead to osteoporosis, which is a condition where bones are weakened to the point where they break easily.
Taking a collagen supplement can help lubricate your joints and prevent bone abrasion. Gelatin supplements also contain lysine, which helps the body absorb calcium to keep the bones strong.
- Creates youthful looking skin
In the first five years of menopause, women lose approximately 30% of skin collagen. After that, collagen declines at 2.1% each year. Type I collagen supplements have been found to stimulate natural collagen production.
Additionally, collagen supplements help skin appear more youthful. A study has found that it can lead to an improvement in skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkling.
- Helps with joint pain
If you’re struggling to sleep at night because of joint pain, collagen might help. Joint pain is a common menopausal symptom, but one study found that taking chicken collagen leads to a significant reduction in discomfort.
- Improves sleep
Gelatin contains a high percentage of glycine, which seems to quieten the mind, decrease anxiety and lower the body's temperature, promoting a healthy, sound sleep.
As we know, there are many things that are out of our control as our bodies change, but what we can control is how we respond. Not only can this be as simple as adding collagen and gelatin to our beauty routine, but also by shifting our attitude towards these changes. While they might be downright unpleasant, they are part of a rite of passage into the next chapter of our lives. Now is the time for us to take the power back and treat our bodies the best we can from the inside out.
